SunRise
by Paranormal Man
Summary: Post 'Always'. s5e1 Let me know if you like it. Chapter 3 is up!
1. Chapter 1

Yes another 'post Always' story but i needed to get myself back into the game somehow. This is really just a test story to see if yall like my writing. If you like it review it and let me know. Enjoy. And yes the R is captiol on purpose ha ha

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_**SunRise**_

The sun was just starting to rise over Manhattan and as the mornings warmth began to dry the city from the night's rain a couple slept quietly in a loft apartment. As a new day started so did a new chapter in a long love story

Former Detective Kate Beckett slowly opened her eyes, the light form the windows blinding her for a moment. As the haze cleared in her vision and she sat up slowly she turned seeing the soft face of Richard Castle still asleep next to her, she smiled at him and reached out with her hand to stroke his face as he breathed slowly.

'He saved me' she thought 'he loves me...'

She smiled again this time at the thought of what happened last night. After 4 years the walls came down and 'came down with a bang was putting it softly' She waited for a few seconds waiting to see if any regret started to surface as she stared at the face of the man she loved. She found none.

Yes she loved him even if she hadn't said it out load for the him or the world to hear. But she admitted it to herself. On the roof holding on for dear life, on the swings in the rain last night , in the front door of his apartment soaked to the bone. She loved him and he loved her.

She shifted a little on the bed bending herself down to kiss his cheek.

"thank you" she said barley whispering

Castle shifted at the touch and slowly opened his eyes looking up at her with his handsome blue eyes. Eyes that saw so much of her. He smiled at her and her heart warmed at the sight.

"So it wasn't dream" he said with a soft sleepy smile

She smiled at his joke and leaned in again kissing his lips this time "No it wasn't."

He searched her face for any signs of regret and came to the same conclusion she had minutes ago. None. He smiled and sat up a little and she snuggled in laying her arms across him and resting her head against his chest listening to his heart beat slowly.

They lay ed in silence just enjoying each other company watching the sun come over the city through the window, Kate tracing slow circles around Rick's chest that sent shiverer's up his spine. He held her close, closer than he had ever held someone except maybe for his daughter or his mother who both still were out enjoying the respective activity's until Castle broke the silence.

"Kate..?"

"Yea Castle?"

"Do you want some breakfast?"

Kate smiles and looks up at him about to make crude remark about men and food but the trance of the moment has been broken and she felt her stomach complain slightly at the lack of food.

"You know i could use something..are you offering to cook?"

Castle smiled looking "My dear Detective Beckett you are in for a treat...i shall make you my famous chocolate chip pan cakes" he says puffing his chest with pride

"Famous hu?" she says through a smile "Are you saying the great word smith Richard Castle is also a master chef?"

"Yes of course just ask my critics" he says

"And who are they?" she asks raising a eyebrow

"My mother and Alexis of course" he says again with pride but the joking humor is unmistakable in his voice. She rolled her eyes and slides from off of his chest to allow him to escape from her embrace.

Rick starts to get out of bed not wanting to leave her side, her warmth, her touch but he dose reluctantly. She sits up the sheets dropping away from her chest revealing her beautiful body and for the first time he notices the bruises on her body. He rushes back to her careful to avoid touching the bruises as he looks her over.

"Kate...did I?" he says looking at her with concern

She took his hand and kissed it "No..never..Ill explain when we eat OK?" she smiled at him and while not all the worry leaves his eyes some of it dose ease away.

"OK.." he finally says standing again this time finding some sweatpants and a loose fitting t-shirt and heads for the door. He stop at the doorway looking back at her just staring at her a moment before he disappears towards the kitchen.

Kate through herself back onto the bed looking up at the ceiling just laying there listening again and thinking to herself before deciding to take a shower. She longed to have Rick join her but knew that they wouldn't be able to focus on getting clean.

She draged herself out of their bed.

'Wo Kate take it slow its still _his _bed not their bed' she reminds herself.

She smiled as she enter the bath room.

'Their bed dose sound allot better though' she thought as she closed the door.


	2. Chapter 2

Alright I got some reveiws and almost everthing was positive. Thank you all so much. Im going to really try and improve my past and present tense mistake from the first chapter so just bare with me if you will. Thanks and enjoy the next chapter if it continues to get some good reviews i will keep it going.

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_SunRise_

Chapter 2

Kate opened the door to the bathroom and steam poured out as she ran a towel through her hair the bath robe she borrowed tied around her waist. She felt the soreness from the bruises around her body a little more now that her body was more relaxed from the shower, but she was suddenly caught off guard by the smell that wafted through the air.

It smelled fantastic. She could smell the pancakes and the coffee of course but something else was sizzling in the pans. She smiled to herself and went back into the bedroom to find something to wear.

Richard Castle was on top of the world! He still had a hard time believing that it wasn't a dream he was in right now but he didn't care. Kate Beckett the women he loved and adored was in his house, his bed, and he was now making her breakfast. He smiled as he moved around the kitchen almost dancing as he moved. He checked the pancakes flipping them with ease and went to turn the bacon he was cooking in the pan on the stove. He hummed to himself some tune in his head as he took the eggs out of the fridge and closed the door with his foot. He slid back to the counter to crack the eggs into the bowl. He still had to figure out how he was going to explain all this to Alexis and his mother but for right now he didn't care as he cracked the first egg into the bowl and free threw the shell into the sink and heard the cheer of the imaginary crowd in his head. He smiled again cracking a second egg and thinking if he should make toast to. He was unaware of the hazel eyes peaking around the door frame of his study watching him, and the smile that was on the lips just beneath them.

He was dancing, well sort of but she loved it anyways. He was still same old Castle even after everything they had just been through, the wounds of the last year seemed almost like fading scars. They were still there just not as visible as they were sense she showed up on his doorstep last night. He flipped the pancakes and stirred the eggs poring them into the pan and the smell filled the air and as she watched from her little hiding spot. She thought about nothing except how handsome and well _sexy_ he really was. She studied him like she had a million times before when he didn't know she was watching and all the things she had noticed is those 4 years now seem amplifyed. She loved it. Everything seemed so perfect now that she had allowed him into her heart. She promised herself right there that she would never be so blind again. It had almost cost her, her life and something far more important. Castle himself. He started pulling out plates and she took it as he cue to make herself known. She slipped around the corner into the room.

Castle was placing the scrambled eggs onto both plates and just about to place the bacon on them as well when he looked up and almost droped the pan. Kate had on a pair of what were obviously his sweat pants cause they were tied extra tight, fair to big for her slender waist. The Batman t-shirt was also to big but seemed to fit her just right. But the fact that he had never seen her in such casual cloths was not what stopped him. It was her face and the way the morning sun caught her drying hair through the lofts window. The way that hair framed her face. God she was so beautiful and the sizzling pan in his hand was like testament to what his insides were feeling right now. He didn't stop staring at her even as she stopped at the counter. He was speechless. God he loved her, she was so beautful, all he lived for.

She saw him freeze as she came closer to him and stopped at the counter top. She staired back at him a smile crossing her face as he stared. She could see the love in those blue eyes and it took a combined effort from both of them to not tear into each other again and express that love like so many times last night. This time she broke the silence.

"Castle your staring." she said breaking eye contact.

"I know." he said.

"Can you stop?" she said looking back up at him.

"Don't wanna." he hadn't even blinked yet.

Kate smiled and picked up one of the plates holding it in front of him. "Bacon please."

The reminder of food and the hot pan in his hands snapped him out of his trance this time.

"Right...food...on it.." he said almost stumbling over the words.

She smiled as he placed the bacon on her plate. She picked up a piece and took a bite as she turned towards the table. Rick still stood there remembering the taste of her lips before he to piled some food on his plate and rushed to join her. The sizzle of there hearts still as hot even as the pan cooled on the stove top.


	3. Chapter 3

_Hey all im sorry its been so long sence i put up another chapter. I finally have internet again and some time to write so here it is. THANK YOU for waiting and for all the reveiws there very helpfull._

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_**SunRise**_

_**Chapter 3**_

Castle quickly joined her at the table and immediately looked up to see if she was enjoying the food. She was looking back at him with a puzzling look and a slight smile. He stared at her again trying to figure out what was wrong and what was so amusing.

"Castle," she said with amusement on her tone.

"Kate?" he asked sounding slightly confused.

"As much as I love finger foods, I don't think scrambled eggs and pancakes counts..." she said smiling.

Castle's eyes went wide as he looked down at both of there plates and noticed that not only had he completely forgotten the silverware, he had forgotten mugs and coffee too. He had been in such a hurry to be near her again it had completely slipped his mind. He looked up at her, his eyes casting a small glare but as she lauged at him, hecouldn't keep up the mask of annoyance and he laughed too. He headed back into the kitchen, bringing over the knives, forks and two cups off coffee, made exactly the way they each preferred it.

Castle sat down once again, looking over each part of the table making sure they had everything. Kate smiled and giggled as he seemed to double and triple check everything.

"Castle it's alright..." she said, still smiling but he kept checking.

She laughed again, and leaned across the table and lifted his chin with her fingers and planted a kiss right on his mouth, freezing him in his chair. Kate sat back in her chair, the breath taken out of her lungs just as much as the shocked Castle. Who was once again staring at her with all that love in his eyes, and more than a hint of lust.

"Can we eat?" she asked.

"Can i watch?" he said his face making that adorable 'up to no good' look.

She shot him a small smile "No...eat." she said as she nudged his plate with her fork before taking a bite of the eggs.

'Wow, they are good!' she thought 'Maybe he was a chef after all. That, or it had been to long sinse I last ate something'

He sighed in defeat and took a bit of the eggs before looking up; "Tell me what happened Kate." He didn't want to push her but the answer to all of her bruises and how she ended up at his door last night needed answering.

She looked down at her plate staring at the food a moment before looking up at him. Castle took her free hand squeezing it softly.

"It's alright Kate in your own ti-"

"No!" she said with more force then she meant. "I mean no...i want to tell you, you have every right to know...you're my partner." They both smiled at the last words.

He took a bite of eggs and nodded "Let start with the bruises..."

Kate nodded and thought back "We tracked guy named Cole Maddox, the sniper, down to a building in the city...I wanted to go after him but we couldn't let Gates know..."

Castle nodded, listening intently. He could see it playing out in his head and behind her eyes as she relived it. He listened as she told him about how they went after Maddox with no back up, how Ryan stayed behind to keep Gates off their backs, how Maddox took down Espistio, leaving only Beckett to face him. His heart raced as she explained the details of the fight almost wincing at unseen blows as she told how she was thrown around on the roof.

Then his heart almost stopped when she told how Maddox threw her off the roof.

"I thought he was going to crush my fingers and watch me fall..." she said staring at the wall, "I was so scared Castle." She said taking his hand, the fear clear in her voice. "I don't know if he just wanted me to fall on my own, or if he heard someone coming and bolted, I just don't know Castle." She squeezed his hand and he squeezed back. "My hands started to cramp.." Castle didn't realize he was holding his breath, but a sudden calmness came over Kate as she continued with more. "Then I heard your voice telling me to hang on...that you were coming for me and to just hold on." She said, glancing back at him.

Castle actually gasped.

"I heard your voice and it gave me what I needed to hang on just those few extra seconds..." She looked at him, eyes sad and holding back tears.

"But I wasn't.." he started.

"No..it was Ryan..he caught me just as a fell...just in time." Tears of her own were beginning to rim her eyes.

Castle couldn't prevent one of the tears from rolling down his chee,k his words barley forming in his mouth. "Kate..I'm so, so sorry I should of been there to back you up...I.."

But a kiss from Kate's lips to his hand that was holding hers stopped him again.

"It wasn't your fault Castle...you were right and I should've listened to you about pushing the investigation into my mom's case. I was just so sure..." A tear of her own now escaping from her eyes.

"I know Kate, I know" He pulled her out of her chair and into his own.

Kate couldn't hold it back anymore and she let the tears fall freely into his shoulder as she sat on his lap crying.

She wept for her mothe,r for Castle, for all the people she had pushed away or hurt in the pursuit of her shooter and her moms killer. And for the first time in a long time, she felt the weight lifting as Castle held her and let her cry. For the first time she felt like it was going to be okay, as long as he was there.

Castle let her cry and it let a release that was long over due. He kissed her hair and forehead as she calmed down and finally looked up at him.

"Thank you" she said looking into his blue eyes.

"For what?"

"For being you Castle, for just for being you." she said kissing his lips and hugging him again.

They sat in silence again for a minute before she broke the silence. "I guess you're wondering how I ended up here though."

"It had crossed my mind, but I'm not complaining." he said with a smile.

She got off his lap and sat back in her own chair.

"After Ryan pulled me up I realized Gates was there.." She said and Castle's eyes widened.

She grinned at the look on his face "Yeap...Ryan told her what me and Javi were up to and she came down to oversee everything.." Castle was about to say something but Kate cut him off.

"If he hadn't I wouldn't be here right now..." she said and Castle simply nodded. "We went back to the station...talk about a long car ride and well...she suspend me and Espiseto." she said and again Castle's face showed surprise.

"Suspended you!. For how long?" he asked and took a bite of eggs.

Kate took another bite of food and swallowed before answering.

"Doesn't matter...I resigned."

Castle almost choked on his eggs at that those two words. He took a second and coughed a few times clearing his throat before speaking.

"You what!" he said.

"Yeap, I turned in my badge and gun. I'm just plain old Kate Beckett now." she said and it didn't sound as horrible as she thought it would.

"But what now? I mean what are you going to do?" he asked

"I don't know yet...and for right now, that's alright Castle. Right now or at least for the next few days I'm just going to be Kate Beckett. Richard Castle's...partner." she said with a wink.

Castle's mouth was suddenly dry and he had a very real urge to reconfirm that partnership but one more question forced it's way out.

"But how did you end up here? Again, not complaining."

"Once I left the precinct it started to rain...and I didn't care, all I could think about was you. I went to those swings at the playground and it didn't feel right without you there sitting next to me. I thought about how all I could think about was you on the roof ledge and hearing your voice telling me to hold on. All I wanted was you to hold me and tell me it was going to be OK and that you would save me from anything. So I came here. I had a whole speech in my head ready to apologize on my knees, but when you opened that door..." and he knew the rest.

He smiled at her and she smiled back. They finished there breakfast with little talk. They just enjoyed each others company once more and feeling peace in what was happening for the first time in a while. When they were both done, plates completely empty, they both sat back, full.

"Well I must say Mr. Castle, you do not disappoint in the food department. It's enough to keep a girl around for a while." Kate said grinning.

Rick smiled "Well I would hope so. My master plan was to let you eat enough so you couldn't go running out of here with out cramping before you hit the door." he said, his smile spreading into a meniacle grin.

Kate laughed "Well it worked Mr. mastermind...I'm stuffed...You know there are ways to burn off food like this." She said, raising her eyebrows seductively. But then she sat back and her stomache stretched and she had second thoughts "On second thought..." she said rubbing her stomache.

Castle felt the burning sizzle return, but he too was almost incapable of moving. He laughed. "They say you shouldn't do physical activity for up to 45 minutes after a large meal." he grinned.

"Well, if that's out of the question for the moment...how does a best-selling author entertain himself when he's so stuffed with food he has trouble standing?" She asked raising her eyebrows.

Castle smiled and got an idea that he loved "Oh my dear Kate Beckett...there is only one way."

She smiled but didn't know if she should be worried about the look on his face.


End file.
